Sports: Stonington beats St. Bernard in boys’ basketball, 51-50

After splitting a pair of regular-season meetings, Stonington and Bacon Academy meet for the third time this season — with the stakes much higher — in today's semifinals of the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division I girls' basketball tournament at Plainfield High School.

The Stonington-Bacon game will be the third of four games (3:30 p.m.), ending with defending champion New London playing East Lyme in the other Division I semifinal at 5:30 p.m. The Division II semifinals begin at 11 a.m. with top-seeded Putnam facing No. 5 Windham followed by host Plainfield, the No. 2 seed, playing No. 3 Montville at 1 p.m.

Stonington (17-4), the No. 2 seed, won the first meeting against the third-seeded Bobcats (also 17-4) in convincing fashion on Jan. 22, 54-25, but Bacon returned the favor only six days ago with a 56-53 victory over the Bears on Monday in Colchester. Top-seeded New London (19-2), meanwhile, swept its season series against No. 5 East Lyme (13-8), defeating the Vikings 59-34 on Jan. 4 and then 55-36 on Monday night.

In Division II, Montville (13-8) lost a pair of regular-season games to the Panthers (15-6), but both were competitive (42-31 on Dec. 20 and 34-29 on Jan. 25). Putnam (17-4) and Windham (14-7) will be meeting for the first time this season.

The ECC tournament isn't the only girls' basketball postseason event on the Saturday schedule. The Shoreline Conference quarterfinals will also take place with fourth-seeded Old Lyme (15-5) hosting No. 5 Coginchaug (13-7) at 5 p.m.

The Wildcats beat the Blue Devils 49-47 in their only regular-season meeting back on Jan. 22.